LUISA F. CARDONA
Silver Spring,MD
Summary
Senior executive and strategic advisor with 17+ years of experience enabling top government officials to lead with clarity, focus, and impact. Serves as a trusted thought partner and force multiplier to senior principals — structuring decisions, synthesizing complex information, managing cross-functional leadership teams, and ensuring institutional priorities are executed with discipline and coherence. Deep fluency in the Washington, D.C. policy environment and broad experience navigating complex stakeholder dynamics across government, nonprofit, legal, and community settings. Proven track record advising elected officials on high-stakes decisions, designing governance processes, driving legislative outcomes, and building high-performing teams within mission-driven organizations.
Overview
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Assistant Chief Administrative Officer
Montgomery County Government
Rockville, USA
08.2025 - Current
- Serve as a senior strategic advisor to the County Executive, synthesizing inputs from 40 departments and 8,000 employees into clear, decision-ready briefings and recommendations — ensuring the executive's time and attention are focused on highest-value priorities.
- Structure decisions on county's $14B+ operating and capital portfolio by integrating perspectives from finance, legal, operations, and program leadership into coherent tradeoff analyses and recommended paths forward.
- Manage cross-departmental planning and performance measurement, establishing accountability norms and clear operational authorities to reduce ambiguity and enable disciplined execution.
- Serve as connective tissue across senior leadership, facilitating information flow between the County Executive's office and a diverse portfolio including Recreation, Libraries, and Health & Human Services.
- Coordinate and advance legislation and policy proposals in partnership with legal counsel, county council, and agency leadership — from drafting through implementation.
- Manage strategic partnerships between county public schools and higher education institutions, aligning educational initiatives with executive priorities and available resources.
Director, MidCounty Regional Office (Appointed)
Montgomery County Government
Rockville, USA
01.2021 - 09.2025
- Advised the County Executive on immigration and refugee response strategies, including designing and leading an interjurisdictional effort to coordinate migrant services — a model of cross-agency alignment under executive leadership.
- Created a rapid-response internal communication tool used during immigration enforcement events to reduce fear and misinformation — an example of designing information infrastructure to enable effective leadership response in high-stakes situations.
- Facilitated a quarterly Leadership Forum on Community Engagement attended by 350 internal leaders, building shared norms and practices across agencies — a model of internal communication in support of institutional coherence.
- Managed and developed a 25-person team (union and non-union staff), implementing data-driven tracking systems that improved performance, accountability, and responsiveness.
- Oversaw operations of Wheaton Urban District — including economic development, public safety coordination, and facilities management — through public-private partnerships and cross-sector coalitions.
- Convened diverse partners through groups like the Mid-County Service Providers Network and Wheaton Glenmont Youth Intervention Group, building governance structures that advanced shared goals across institutional boundaries.
Director / Deputy Director
Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs – Welcoming Atlanta
Atlanta, USA
01.2015 - 01.2021
- Architected and drove passage of 45+ pieces of legislation, executive actions, and policy guidance, including a citywide language access plan, an immigrant representation program within the public defender's office, and the end of a city detention contract with ICE.
- Acted as the Mayor's primary policy expert and strategic advisor on immigration and equity shaping decisions, managing political risks, and advancing institutional priorities.
- Grew the office from a 2-person operation to an 8-person high-performing team, tripled the allocated budget through public and nonprofit funding, and designed an internship pipeline drawing diverse college talent.
- Managed $2M budget and programmatic operations, overseeing service delivery, team supervision, and stakeholder coordination across city government to ensure alignment with institutional goals.
- Acted as the Mayor's Office spokesperson on immigration, delivering 150+ remarks, presentations, and bilingual media interviews — maintaining consistent institutional messaging on high-visibility issues.
- Drafted analysis memoranda and recommended response strategies on complex policy decisions, equipping the Mayor's office to respond effectively to rapidly evolving political and legal environments.
- Served as special advisor to the City's 2020 Census team and advocated for equitable distribution of COVID-19 relief dollars.
Staff Attorney
Access to Law
Atlanta, USA
01.2015 - 12.2015
- Represented clients in federal immigration proceedings and provided legal advice on family law and housing matters, managing 35-45 active cases while addressing complex legal and policy questions.
- Drafted legal documents for various civil and criminal cases.
- Researched case law to support legal arguments and strategies.
- Advised clients on legal rights and obligations regarding their cases.
Law Fellow / Staff Attorney
CASA de Maryland
Silver Spring, USA
01.2013 - 12.2014
- Advocated for immigrant communities by lobbying and testifying before the Maryland legislature, enhancing support for underserved clients.
- Conducted legal education workshops across Maryland, simplifying complex legal frameworks into practical guidance for community members and organizations.
- Provided legal research support for immigration and civil rights cases.
- Drafted legal documents, including briefs and motions for court submissions.
- Assisted clients in understanding their legal rights and options available.
Education
Juris Doctor (J.D.) -
American University, Washington College of Law
Washington, D.C.01-2015
Bachelor of Arts - Political Science
Georgia State University
Atlanta, GASkills
- Executive Advisory & Strategic Counsel
- Decision Architecture & Tradeoff Analysis
- Information Flow & Executive Integration
- Board & Governance Support
- Leadership Team Facilitation
- Operational Management
- Legislative Strategy & Policy Development
- Cross-Departmental Coordination
- Budget Oversight ($14B Portfolio)
- Stakeholder & Coalition Management
Websites
Recognition And Leadership
MLK Peace Maker Award, 2024, Georgia's Most Influential Latinos, 2018, 2019, 2020, Georgia Latina of Excellence, 2017, Latino Victory Fund, 2020, 2021, Alliance of Latinx Leadership & Policy, 2020, 2021, Women's Feminist Center, 2020, 2022, Atlanta Fulton Public Library System Foundation, 2016, 2021, Bilingual Spokesperson for Montgomery County, Univision, Telemundo, Radio America, 2021, Present, National Immigrant Integration Conference, Panelist, Moderator, 2018, 2019, Cities for Action, LULAC Atlanta, Welcoming America Interactive, Latino Community Fund of Georgia, 2019, 2021
Timeline
Assistant Chief Administrative Officer
Montgomery County Government
08.2025 - Current
Director, MidCounty Regional Office (Appointed)
Montgomery County Government
01.2021 - 09.2025
Director / Deputy Director
Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs – Welcoming Atlanta
01.2015 - 01.2021
Staff Attorney
Access to Law
01.2015 - 12.2015
Law Fellow / Staff Attorney
CASA de Maryland
01.2013 - 12.2014
Juris Doctor (J.D.) -
American University, Washington College of Law
Bachelor of Arts - Political Science
Georgia State University